1
Advancing Sustainability in Higher Education:
A Case Study Applying STARS to Colorado State University-Pueblo
by
Ayşe Canan Ok
A Thesis
Submitted to
The Department of Engineering
Colorado State University-Pueblo
In partial fulfillment of the requirements
For the degree of
Master of Science
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Abstract
Ayşe Canan Ok for the degree of Master of Science in Industrial and Systems Engineering
presented on August 10, 2012.
Title:
Advancing Sustainability in Higher Education:
A Case Study Applying STARS to Colorado State University-Pueblo
The world’s resources are limited, and every passing day, correctly and incorrectly consuming those limited sources, makes them more depleted. Sustainability will help to prevent or postpone the risk of running out of resources. Sustainability, means the continuity of natural resources which are used, is gradually getting more important in the present day. Success with
sustainability requires not only understanding the term theoretically but also applying it in operations and daily life.
The aims of this thesis are evaluating how Colorado State University (CSU)-Pueblo applies
sustainability, assessing it by using AASHE’s (Association for the Advancement of the Sustainability in Higher Education) STARS (Sustainability Tracking, Assessment, and Rating System) and providing recommendations for further achievements.
Abstract approved:
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Certificate of Acceptance
This thesis
presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of
Master of Science
APPROVED
__________________________________________________________________________
Jane M. Fraser, Ph.D. Date
Professor and Chair of Engineering and Committee Chair
__________________________________________________________________________
Ananda Paudel, Ph.D. Date
Assistant Professor of Engineering
__________________________________________________________________________
John Barnosky Date
Director of Planning and Construction for Colorado State University-Pueblo
__________________________________________________________________________
Deborah Proctor Date
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Acknowledgements
First and foremost, I would like to express my gratitude to Dr. Fraser for her guidance,
encouragement and helpful critiques of this research work. Her guidance, help and willingness to give her time so generously have been very much appreciated.
Second, I would like to thank Dr. Ananda Paudel, John Barnosky, Planning and Construction Director, and Deborah Proctor, Campus Project Manager. They provided invaluable assistance to me during the development of my thesis, and dedicated their valuable time. I would like to heartily thank Dr. Sarper for introducing me to Colorado State University-Pueblo, for his belief in me and for all his support from a very early stage of my graduate school career.
Third, I wish to thank my father Ahmet Ok, my mother Fatma Filiz and my brother Hamza Ertuğrul for their support and encouragement throughout my study, for their trust in me and for their endless gentle love towards me.
I would also like to extend my thanks to the all CSU-Pueblo faculty and staff for their valuable help during this study.
Finally, I would like to thank all my valuable friends who I met in Pueblo for their friendship and support.
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Table of Contents
1. Introduction ... 12
1.1 Sustainability Literature Review ... 13
1.1.1 Definition of Sustainability ... 13
1.1.2 Benefit of Sustainability ... 17
1.1.3 History of Sustainability ... 18
1.1.4 Sustainability in Higher Education ... 21
1.1.5 Importance of Sustainability in Higher Education... 25
2. Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) and Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS) ... 27
2.1 Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) ... 27
2.2 Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS) ... 28
3. Reasons for Using STARS as an Assessment Tool for CSU-Pueblo ... 31
4. Description of the Case Study ... 34
4.1 General Information about Colorado State University-Pueblo ... 34
4.2 Methodology ... 35
5. STARS Applying to CSU-Pueblo ... 37
5.1 Category 1: Education & Research ... 37
6 5.1.2 Curriculum ... 46 5.1.3 Research ... 55 5.2 Category 2: Operations ... 60 5.2.1 Buildings ... 60 5.2.2 Climate ... 66 5.2.3 Dining Services ... 71 5.2.4 Energy ... 78 5.2.5 Grounds ... 87 5.2.6 Purchasing ... 91 5.2.7 Transportation ... 97 5.2.8 Waste... 105 5.2.9 Water ... 115
5.3 Category 3: Planning, Administration & Engagement ... 122
5.3.1 Coordination and Planning ... 122
5.3.2 Diversity and Affordability ... 126
5.3.3 Human Resources ... 133
5.3.4 Investment ... 140
5.3.5 Public Engagement ... 145
5.4 Innovation ... 153
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6. Results of CSU-Pueblo’s STARS Application ... 157
7. Conclusions and Recommendations... 161
7.1 Conclusions ... 161
7.2 Barriers for CSU-Pueblo towards Sustainability ... 168
7.3 Recommendations ... 169
7.4 Areas for Future Studies ... 170
References ... 171
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Tables
Table 1: Sustainability Elements ... 14
Table 2: STARS Rating Levels ... 29
Table 3: Co-Curricular Education ... 38
Table 4: Curriculum ... 46
Table 5: Preliminary List of Candidate Courses for a To-Be-Proposed Sustainability Minor ... 47
Table 6: Calculation of Sustainability Focused Courses ... 48
Table 7: Calculation of Sustainability-Related Courses ... 49
Table 8: Calculation of Sustainability Courses by Department ... 50
Table 9: Preliminary List of Sustainability Learning Outcomes... 50
Table 10: Calculation of Sustainability Learning Outcomes ... 52
Table 11: Research ... 56
Table 12: Faculty Sustainability Research ... 57
Table 13: Calculation of Faculty Involved in Sustainability Research ... 58
Table 14: Calculation of Departments Involved in Sustainability Research ... 58
Table 15: Buildings ... 61
Table 16: Square Feet of Certified Building Space... 61
Table 17: Calculation of Building Operations and Maintenance ... 62
Table 18: Calculation of Building Design and Construction ... 64
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Table 20: Climate ... 66
Table 21: Dining Services ... 72
Table 22: Calculation of Food and Beverage Purchasing ... 73
Table 23: Energy ... 78
Table 24: Calculation of Clean and Renewable Energy ... 83
Table 25: Grounds ... 87
Table 26: Calculation of Integrated Pest Management ... 88
Table 27: Purchasing ... 92
Table 28: Calculation of Computer Purchasing ... 93
Table 29: Calculation of Cleaning Products Purchasing ... 94
Table 30: Calculation of Office Paper Purchasing ... 95
Table 31: Transportation ... 98
Table 32: Calculation of Campus Fleet ... 98
Table 33: Pueblo City Transit Price Plan for Bus Fares ... 101
Table 34: Waste ... 106
Table 35: Calculation of Waste Diversion ... 110
Table 36: Calculation of Construction and Demolition Waste Diversion-1 ... 111
Table 37: Calculation of Construction and Demolition Waste Diversion-2 ... 111
Table 38: Water ... 116
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Table 40: Diversity and Affordability ... 126
Table 41: Human Resources ... 134
Table 42: Calculation of Sustainable Compensation ... 135
Table 43: Calculation of Employee Sustainability Educators Program ... 137
Table 44: Investment ... 141
Table 45: Calculation of Positive Sustainability Investment-1 ... 143
Table 46: Calculation of Positive Sustainability Investment-2 ... 143
Table 47: Public Engagement ... 146
Table 48: Calculation of Community Service Participation ... 148
Table 49: Calculation of Community Service Hours ... 149
Table 50: CSU-Pueblo’s Earned Points ... 153
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Figures
Figure 1: The Three Spheres of Sustainability ... 15
Figure 2: Timeline of Sustainability Events ... 18
Figure 3: Sustainable System ... 26
Figure 4: The STARS Timeline ... 28
Figure 5: Graphic Renditions of the Solar Array ... 81
Figure 6: Comparing CSU-Pueblo Points to Other Institutions ... 158
Figure 7: Comparing CSU-Pueblo’s Total Scores by Subcategory Scores to Other Institutions 159 Figure 8: Average Scores in STARS... 160
Figure 9: Pareto Chart for CSU-Pueblo’s STARS Results ... 163
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1. Introduction
The world’s resources are limited, and every passing day, correctly and incorrectly consuming those limited sources makes them more depleted. Sustainability will help to prevent or postpone the risk of running out of resources. Sustainability, means the continuity of natural resources which are used, is gradually getting more important in the present day. Success with
sustainability requires not only understanding the term theoretically but also applying it in operations and daily life.
The aims of this thesis are (1) to evaluate CSU-Pueblo’s status in applying sustainability by using the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment, and Rating System (STARS) developed by the Association for the Advancement of the Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE), and (2) to provide recommendations for further achievement.
Chapter 1 is a literature review about sustainability, including definitions, history of
sustainability, history of sustainability in higher education and the importance of sustainability for higher education. Chapter 2 will provide a quick overview of AASHE and STARS. Chapter 3 will explain reasons for using STARS as an assessment tool for CSU-Pueblo. Chapter 4 consists of the case study by describing methods of the study and giving general information about the university. In chapter 5, STARS will be applied to the institution. Chapter 6 will interpret these results and compare CSU-Pueblo with other STARS-rated institutions. Chapter 7 will be conclusions and recommendations for the university for improving sustainability.
Analyses of CSU-Pueblo’s sustainability performance by using STARS shows that the institution is performing below average among STARS-rated institutions in Co-curricular, Curriculum,
13 Climate, Transportation, Waste, Coordination and Planning, and Human Resources areas, and the university is performing higher than average among STARS-rated institutions in Research, Building, Dining Services, Energy, Grounds, Purchasing, Water, Diversity and Affordability, and Investment areas.
CSU-Pueblo can improve sustainability in many areas. Greenhouse gas emissions inventory for climate is the most significant area that needs attention, because it affects the environment on a global scale. Currently the institution does not measure greenhouse gas emissions, so it is difficult to determine the university’s global footprint in this area. The other important possible improvement areas are waste and water reduction. Instead of reducing waste and usage of water, CSU-Pueblo is increasing its waste output and water consumption more than what would be expected due to population increases. To follow the trend and be more sustainable, the university should adopt more effective techniques in these areas.
1.1 Sustainability Literature Review
1.1.1 Definition of Sustainability
The word “sustainable” means continuing indefinitely into the future (“Sustainable,” Merriam-Webster, 2008). This definition can be applied to various entities including society as a whole, an industry such as agriculture or a specific process.
Sustainability is a developing concept reflecting on concerns about fundamental resources and human existence. Since the concern is universally relevant, sustainability can be defined for and applied to many areas from energy and food to education and finance.
14 The most common and comprehensive definition of sustainability is given by the Brundtland World Commission on the Environment and Development (1987): “Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the needs of future generations to meet their own needs” (United States Environmental Protection Agency, “Definitions of Sustainability,” 2012). This definition contains important concepts: needs, limitations and equality. The common points of all sustainability definitions are limited resources; the connection among economy, society, and environment; and the obligation to distribute these resources and opportunities equitably for a better future. Table 1 shows sustainability elements from environmental, social, and economic aspects.
Table 1: Sustainability Elements
Environmental Social Economic
Resource use e.g. water Human and worker rights Economic development Waste generation Paying appropriate wages Local industry participation Material sourcing Working conditions Jobs created
Atmospheric pollution Freedom of association Corporate governance Toxic material disposal Workforce diversity Public reporting Source: New South Wales Government. (July 2011). What is sustainability?
Figure 1: The Three Spheres of Sustainability
Source: Vanderbilt University. (2012). What is Sustainability?
As shown in Figure 1, sustainability is in the intersect following sections will explain these
Environmental Dimension
The environmental dimensions of sustainability natural resources such as land,
pollution prevention are proposed paths
Proper management of natural
process of consumption more sustainable
The Three Spheres of Sustainability
(2012). What is Sustainability?
, sustainability is in the intersection of planet, people, will explain these concepts.
nvironmental dimensions of sustainability involve commitment to protecting the earth's such as land, water, air, and food. Proper management of n
evention are proposed paths to environmental sustainability.
anagement of natural resources means not only consuming less but also making the sustainable. The main resource categories are land, water, air and
15 and prosperity. The
to protecting the earth's agement of natural resources and
means not only consuming less but also making the . The main resource categories are land, water, air and
16 food. Consumption of these as goods or services should be managed considering the full cycle of production, including production use and disposal process.
On a global scale, environmental management involves the water, air, and land, but from the sustainability perspective it means, more broadly, that any ecosystem can be managed in a sustainable way.
The volume of materials consumed is getting larger every day due to increasing population. These materials are raw materials, finished goods, chemicals, minerals, food, and others. Sustainable use of these materials has targeted the idea of reducing the quantity of materials by reducing usage, reusing or recycling (which is referred to as “3R”).
Economic Dimension
Economic sustainability supports the responsible use of resources. It means not only a focus on making a profit, but also ensuring that operations are not creating environmental side effects which can damage the economy by costing money to repair the damage. Some techniques suggested to obtain economic sustainability include reducing the cost of water and energy
operation and enhancing employee productivity, as well optimizing the economic performance of each asset over its life cycle (Mat et al., 2009).
Social Dimension
Social sustainability is defined as optimizing social prosperity for healthier societies. The goal of social sustainability is to develop programs and processes to provide social and cultural
17 Social sustainability focuses on protecting social diversity by giving the same opportunities to all groups, and then these diverse groups can become assets for society.
Social sustainability contains business operations and their effects on employees, investors, suppliers, customers, and communities. It is also related to ensuring the safety, happiness, freedom, and peace of societies (Berea College, 2009).
1.1.2 Benefit of Sustainability
A sustainable planet continues to do what it is supposed to do, but since demands for the earth’s resources are increasing because of increasing population and increasing life standards, the earth’s capacity to meet all these demands is declining. The conflict between limited sources and increasing demands is often ignored. People rely on many resources for their own prosperity without caring about limited resources for the future.
In the distant past, people used resources unsustainably, but in that time, due to relatively low levels of population, the impact was mostly only local or regional at worst. With the industrial revolution, human activity and impact on the environment have increased. Today people are using many resources on an industrial scale and faster than they can be renewed. This rapid use causes irreparable harm to the environment.
In the natural world, living unsustainably by excessive levels of personal consumption, using inefficient technology, and exceeding the bearing capacity of the environment might exhaust resources and eventually cause a catastrophic result.
To have a better quality of life and waste generation, and to improve other words, people have to ado
people are part of the planet, to assure our future.
1.1.3 History of Sustainability
The concept of sustainability is into view from meetings, conferences, timeline for sustainability events. about major events all over the world.
Figure 2: Timeline of Sustainability Events
1969 •National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)
1970 •Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
1972
•United Nations Conference on the Human Environment (Stockholm Conference) •United Nations Environment Program
1983 •World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED)
1992 •UN Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), Agenda 21
1993 •President's Council on Sustainable Development (PCSD)
1997 •Kyoto Climate Agreement
2002 •World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD)
life in the future, it is essential to control and maintain consumption to improve technological efficiency to produce goods or services have to adopt sustainability into daily life to protect the
to assure our future.
History of Sustainability
The concept of sustainability is based on environmental, economic and social needs and meetings, conferences, and reports during the 1970s and 1980
timeline for sustainability events. The following history of sustainability gives about major events all over the world.
Timeline of Sustainability Events National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
United Nations Conference on the Human Environment (Stockholm Conference) United Nations Environment Program (UNEP)
World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED)
UN Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), Agenda 21
President's Council on Sustainable Development (PCSD)
Kyoto Climate Agreement
World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD)
18 it is essential to control and maintain consumption
roduce goods or services. In protect the planet and, since
tal, economic and social needs and came 1980s. Figure 2 shows a of sustainability gives brief information
United Nations Conference on the Human Environment (Stockholm Conference)
19 The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), enacted in 1969, was the first policy for
environmental sustainability in the United States of America. The goal of the policy is to "foster and promote the general welfare, to create and maintain conditions under which man and nature can exist in productive harmony and [to] fulfill the social, economic and other requirements of present and future generations" (United States Environmental Protection Agency, “History of Sustainability,” 2012).
In 1970, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was created to draw attention to the environment and its effects on human health in America (United States Environmental Protection Agency, “History of Sustainability,” 2012).
The United Nations Conference on the Human Environment (known as the Stockholm Conference) was held in Stockholm, Sweden, in 1972. It was the United Nations’ first major conference about international environmental issues, and the concept of "sustainable
development" was born during this conference (United States Environmental Protection Agency, “History of Sustainability,” 2012).
As a result of the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment, the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) was founded in 1972, with its headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya. This is an international institution founded to organize the United Nation’s environmental activities, and to support developing countries in performing environmentally sound policies and practices (United States Environmental Protection Agency, “History of Sustainability,” 2012).
The World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED), “the Brundtland Commission,” was organized in 1983 to provide international cooperation on environmental
20 issues to pursue sustainability development (United States Environmental Protection Agency, “History of Sustainability,” 2012).
The UN Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), also known as the 1992 Rio Earth Summit, was the outcome of the WCED report. This major United Nations conference, in which world leaders discussed sustainability and environmental and development issues, was held in 1992 in Rio de Janeiro following a two-year series of preparatory meetings (United Nations, 1997).
Agenda 21, an outcome of the United Nations Conference on Environment and
Development (UNCED), is a detailed action plan for the United Nations’ planning process for a sustainable future for society (United States Environmental Protection Agency, “History of Sustainability,” 2012).
U.S. President Bill Clinton formed the President's Council on Sustainable Development (PCSD) on the anniversary of the Earth Summit in 1993, to support environmental protection, economic growth, and job opportunities (United States Environmental Protection Agency, “History of Sustainability,” 2012).
The Kyoto Climate Agreement, which more than 150 nations signed in 1997 in Kyoto, Japan, is a protocol to protect the atmosphere and climate (United States Environmental Protection Agency, “History of Sustainability,” 2012).
The World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) was held in Johannesburg, South Africa, in 2002. Heads of state and government, national delegates, multilateral financial institutions, and leaders from non-governmental organizations (NGOs) attended the event, and
21 five major areas (energy, water, agriculture, health and biodiversity) were covered during the summit (United States Environmental Protection Agency, “History of Sustainability,” 2012).
1.1.4 Sustainability in Higher Education
In fall 2011, 19.7 million students enrolled in the U.S. colleges and universities (United States Census Bureau, 2011). If faculty and staff are added, the number is more than the population of many world countries. When one thinks worldwide, one can see how higher education
institutions take part in global society. Because of this large population, universities have a remarkable impact on economic, social, and environmental issues. Therefore, sustainability in higher education has been realized as a concern for a number of years.
Universities are stand-alone institutions with all kinds of on-campus services, such as academic and research support facilities, housing, dining services, health care services, sports and
recreation, transportation, security, and entertainment. Since universities are such major institutions, having sustainable universities will reduce most of the sustainability-related problems on a bigger scale.
Environmental concerns became a current issue around the late 1960s and early 1970s. Since higher education institutions have such a big impact on society, education was intensively
discussed in major sustainability-related events, and, in time, higher education institutions started to be seen as important responsible institutions to solve sustainability issues, and to be models to society by applying sustainable plans and projects.
22 Earth Day in 1970, a student-based effort, was the first ever sustainability-related event (Calder & Clugston, 2001).
At the international level, sustainable development was recognized with the Stockholm Declaration in 1972 (Calder & Clugston, 2001). Principle 19 of the Stockholm Declaration states:
Education in environmental matters, for the younger generation as well as adults, giving due consideration to the underprivileged, is essential in order to broaden the basis for an enlightened opinion and responsible conduct by individuals, enterprises and communities in protecting and improving the environment in its full human dimension. It is also essential that mass media of communications avoid contributing to the deterioration of the environment, but, on the contrary, disseminates information of an educational nature on the need to protect and improve the environment in order to enable man to develop in every respect (Anton & Shelton, 2011).
In 1977, The Tbilisi Declaration was the first intergovernmental conference on environmental education organized by the United Nations Education, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in cooperation with the U.N. Environment Programme (UNEP). The declaration supported environmental education, research and training besides technical and occupational education. It also called attention to the importance of interdisciplinary environmental education (Calder & Clugston, 2001).
Environmental education should bring about a closer link between educational processes and real life, building its activities around the environmental problems that are faced by particular
communities and focusing analysis on these by means of an interdisciplinary, comprehensive approach which will permit a proper understanding of environmental problems (Tbilisi Declaration, 1977).
23 The Rio Earth Summit drew international attention to education for sustainability and the
environment in 1992. “Education for sustainable development” primarily was created during this summit, and this term is defined more broadly than environmental education, as including international development, and environmental, social and cultural diversity by many educators (Calder & Clugston, 2001).
Agenda 21, an action plan of United Nations, which was created in 1992, contains the word “education” more than the word “government” (Calder & Clugston, 2001). Chapter 36 of Agenda 21, states that “education is critical for promoting sustainable development and
improving the capacity of the people to address environment and development issues” (Calder & Clugston, 2001). In another way, this chapter says universities have a role to build sustainable future.
Starting in 1990, universities held conferences around the world and created a series of international declarations on higher education for sustainable development. The Talloires Declaration, created in 1990 in France, has been popular in the U.S. This declaration is the first official statement made by university leaders to define sustainability and to commit to
environmental sustainability in higher education. It has been signed by more than 350 university presidents and chancellors in more than 40 countries (University Leaders For A Sustainable Future, 2001).
The other significant U.S. statements on higher education for sustainable development are the Campus Earth Summit in 1994, the “Workshop on the Principles of Sustainability in Higher Education” in 1995, “The Class of 2000 Report” commissioned by the Nathan Cummings Foundation in 1996, and the President's Council on Sustainable Development in the same year
24 (Calder & Clugston, 2001). The Campus Earth Summit was a major national conference hosted by Yale University. More than 400 faculty, staff and student participants attended the summit from 22 countries and all 50 U.S. states. The summit’s aims were to create a discussion through brainstorming and to share information to discover ways to redesign environmental education and environmental campus practices for a sustainable twenty first century. The Blueprint for a Green Campus was the outcome of the summit (Campus Earth Summit, 1995). In 1995, at the Workshop on the Principles of Sustainability in Higher Education, held in Essex, Massachusetts, environmental educators and professionals came together to discuss the role of higher education in achieving a sustainable society, current educational problems, and strategies based on the Talloires Declaration. The report from that conference, called the Essex Report, is important because it surpasses the Blueprint for a Green Campus, and it presents a more comprehensive vision of sustainability thorough social, economic and environmental dimensions (Calder & Clugston, 2001).
The Class of 2000 Report was commissioned by the Nathan Cummings Foundation. The
recommendations are similar to Yale's Blueprint for a Green Campus, but additionally this Class of 2000 Report has special emphasis on student activism. The report recommends increasing environmental education at colleges and universities, strengthening campus environmental practices and increasing student environmental activism for higher education institutions (Calder & Clugston, 2001).
The President's Council on Sustainable Development created a report called “Education for Sustainability: An Agenda for Action.” The report includes a series of initiatives and
recommendations through formal and non-formal education; systems thinking, interdisciplinary approaches, interaction between educational institutions and the community, and multicultural
25 perspectives. It is still an important document of actions and policies to educate America on sustainability (Calder & Clugston, 2001).
The Decade of Education for Sustainable Development was officially launched by the United Nations General Assembly in January 2005 and will continue to December 2014. The aim of the program is to work with educators to encourage sustainable development, and to share and to adapt sustainability related educational materials (Lozano Garcia, Kevany, & Huisingh, 2006).
1.1.5 Importance of Sustainability in Higher Education
The environmental concerns caused by consumption of energy and materials are becoming greater concerns not only in the community but also in higher education institutions, because of conflicts between environmental, social, and economic expectations.
Essentially a model sustainable campus should protect the environment, encourage economic growth and improve the well-being of the community. Velazquez et al. (2006, as cited in Alshuwaikhat & Abubakar, 2008, para. 2) defined a sustainable university as
A higher educational institution, as a whole or as a part, that addresses, involves and promotes, on a regional or a global level, the minimization of negative environmental, economic, societal, and health effects generated in the use of their resources in order to fulfill its functions of teaching, research, outreach and partnership, and stewardship in ways to help society make the transition to sustainable lifestyles.
Universities should be models that can combine teaching and learning with their operations, and serve this knowledge to the community to promote environmental sustainability. The large population of people at universities causes environmental pollution and degradation via activities and operations in teaching and research, support services, and residential areas. These activities
create environmental concerns in
universities are important educational institutions and have resources to develop solutions for sustainability issues.
Besides promoting environmental sustainability justice and well-being for the campus and ext prosperity. Figure 3 represents
Figure 3: Sustainable System
Source: Mat et al. (2009)
This chapter has shown that, sustainability is
global implications for higher education institutions. It has been considered an important concept for years and should be addressed by univer
human systems.
concerns in the campus community and for the external communities universities are important educational institutions and have resources to develop solutions for
Besides promoting environmental sustainability, a model university should provide economic being for the campus and external community to ensure the society’s
represents the interaction of all these functions.
Sustainable System
sustainability is a developing concept on a world
for higher education institutions. It has been considered an important concept for years and should be addressed by universities because of its impact on ecosystems and
26 y and for the external communities. Also, universities are important educational institutions and have resources to develop solutions for
a model university should provide economic the society’s future
a developing concept on a worldwide scale with for higher education institutions. It has been considered an important concept
27
2. Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education
(AASHE) and Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS)
This chapter will introduce the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) and its Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS).
2.1 Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE)
The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) is a North American association of colleges and universities with over 1000 campus members, working to create a sustainable future. AASHE was founded in 2005 as the first North American
professional association to help empower campus sustainability endeavors at regional and national levels. According to AASHE, “AASHE defines sustainability in an inclusive way, encompassing human and ecological health, social justice, secure livelihoods, and a better world for all generations” (AASHE, “About AASHE,” 2012).
AASHE’s mission is to is strengthen sustainability applications in higher education to guide sustainability renovation by giving professional guidance to the institutions, providing
resources, and creating community engagement (AASHE, “AASHE Mission, Vision and Goals,” 2012).
Members have some benefits, such as access to member-only resources, getting a consultation from the AASHE staff, taking advantage of networking and information sharing, discounts for AASHE events, and recognition for professional activity.
2.2 Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System
The Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System Higher Education Associations
AASHE in 2006 to create a stand development toward sustainability
STARS is a voluntary self-assessment rating system for colle their sustainability performance on
focuses on collaboration instead of competition by sharing sustainability information. To participate in STARS, the institution does not have to be
higher institution in the U.S. and Canada Sustainability Tracking, Assessment &
STARS has several versions of technical m illustrated in the timeline below:
Figure 4: The STARS Timeline
Source: AASHE. (2012). The STARS Program AASHE’s Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System ity Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS)
The Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System™ (STARS) was developed by Higher Education Associations Sustainability Consortium (HEASC), which was
to create a standardized campus sustainability tool to measure the institutions’ rd sustainability.
assessment rating system for colleges and universities to evaluate sustainability performance on social, economic, and environmental dimensions. STARS focuses on collaboration instead of competition by sharing sustainability information. To
the institution does not have to be an AASHE member; it is open to any and Canada (AASHE, “The STARS Program A
Assessment & Rating System,” 2012).
STARS has several versions of technical manuals which are accessible from AASHE website as below:
The STARS Timeline
AASHE. (2012). The STARS Program AASHE’s Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System
28 (STARS) was developed by the
, which was called upon by ardized campus sustainability tool to measure the institutions’
ges and universities to evaluate social, economic, and environmental dimensions. STARS focuses on collaboration instead of competition by sharing sustainability information. To
AASHE member; it is open to any (AASHE, “The STARS Program AASHE’s
anuals which are accessible from AASHE website as
29 STARS 2.0 is planned to launch in 2013. In this research study, STARS 1.1 is used which has three main categories, each with maximum of 100 points: Education & Research (ER); Operations (OP); and Planning, Administration & Engagement (PAE). A fourth category Innovation (IN), has a maximum of four points. These main categories, subcategories, credits under subcategories, and possible points are shown in Appendix 1, Appendix 2, and Appendix 3 respectively. The description of each credit has seven parts: credit rationale, criteria,
applicability, scoring, reporting fields, measurement, and standards and terms. The final score is calculated as an average of the main three categories plus a maximum of four innovation credits. According to this final score, institutions are rated as STARS Platinum, STARS Gold, STARS Silver, STARS Bronze, or STARS Reporter. Table 2 shows the minimum score required for each level.
Table 2: STARS Rating Levels Rating
Level STARS Platinum STARS Gold STARS Silver STARS Bronze STARS Reporter
STARS Logo Minimum Score Required 85 65 45 25
For institutions that wish to use STARS and submit data publicly but are not
pursuing a rating Source for scores: AASHE. (2011). STARS Version 1.1 Technical Manual Administrative Update One September 2011
Source for logos: AASHE. (2012). STARS. The STARS Flyer
Participating in STARS offers different benefits to the institutions through their sustainability achievements, such as recognition among higher education institutions, having the chance to report their achievements systematically, having the chance to compare themselves with other
30 institutions, working together with other institutions, and getting the advantage of comparing and reviewing the same kind of information to plan about sustainability (AASHE, STARS Flyer, 2012).
AASHE is an association for universities and colleges which are working to create a sustainable future, and STARS is one of AASHE’s initiatives which develops a standardized tool for higher education institutions to measure their sustainability practices and be recognized for their efforts.
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3. Reasons for Using STARS as an Assessment Tool for CSU-Pueblo
There are many kinds of sustainability rating systems available all over the world. STARS by AASHE is one which was created for college campuses.
The main reason STARS was used in this research is because STARS was developed specifically for higher education institutions. STARS is a rich assessment tool because it has several other specific inventorying systems and it is coordinated with other rating systems. For example, STARS uses the Campus Carbon Calculator as a complement. STARS does not have a greenhouse gas emission inventory tool or calculator. For OP Credit 4: Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory, OP Credit 5: Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction, and PAE Credit 5: Climate Action Plan, STARS advices universities to use the use Campus Carbon Calculator (Wigmore, & Ruiz, 2010). STARS uses Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) as a complements. As such, STARS has two credits based on LEED. OP Credit 1: Building Operations and Maintenance and OP Credit 2: Building Design and Construction both use LEED as a calculating tool. The major difference between LEED certification and a STARS rating is that LEED certification is limited to one building but STARS covers an entire campus. Also, LEED is completely focused on the features of a building whereas STARS covers broader activities. Finally, while STARS is a self-assessment tool, LEED certification is verified by a third party (Wigmore, & Ruiz, 2010).
AASHE consulted and collaborated with several sustainability assessment and reporting frameworks during the STARS developing process. The Sustainability Endowment Institute (SEI), which rates colleges and universities in its College Sustainability Report Card, is one group which AASHE has collaborated with in the past and will probably collaborate with again
32 (Wigmore, & Ruiz, 2010). The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) is one of the institutions which AASHE has consulted during the STARS credit system’s development process. However, unlike GRI, STARS was developed for higher education and covers additional specific topics for higher education, such as Curriculum, Co-curricular and Research activities. GRI is a reporting
framework, not a rating system, but STARS can also be used as both a reporting framework and a rating system. Also, STARS is organized as a series of credits, while GRI is organized as reporting fields. As a similarity, both GRI and STARS deal with mostly non-profit entities (Wigmore, & Ruiz, 2010). Another environmental management system is the International Standardization Organization’s System ISO 14000 or ISO 19011. Both can be used to analyze campuses’ sustainability performances, but since they were not developed for higher education, in this research study STARS was considered a better tool than either of these. Again, unlike ISO 14000 and ISO 19011, STARS has specific areas such as Curriculum, Co-curricular, and
Research which were developed for higher education institutions. Also some credits in some areas in STARS, such as human resources and public engagement, were modified for higher education institutions (Wigmore, & Ruiz, 2010).
• Other differences between STARS and other assessment systems made STARS the best assessment tool for this research. These are (AASHE, “Relationship to Other Systems,” 2012):
• STARS asks a wide range of questions from curriculum to finance to planning and operation.
• STARS has a high quality and transparent data sharing system, which allows researchers to compare other institutions’ achievements with their own institutions.
33 • The STARS technical manual provides enough information about all credits to be
understandable by researchers.
• STARS can be applied to all types of higher education institutions, while other types of systems were created for specific types of higher education institutions.
• STARS includes credits not only focusing on the institution’s environmental performance, but also on the institution’s social performance.
Overall, since STARS is comprehensive because of its collaboration with other assessment systems, was created specifically for higher education institutions, and for the other reasons listed above, STARS was chosen as the assessment system for CSU-Pueblo.
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4. Description of the Case Study
The purpose of this thesis is to examine CSU-Pueblo’s sustainability efforts as a higher
education institution by using STARS (Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System), a sustainability assessment system, to provide a report based on STARS fields, and to propose recommendations which will help the institution to implement better sustainability plans and projects for the institution. This thesis provides a detailed overview of CSU-Pueblo’s
sustainability related efforts based on STARS’s categorization.
The purpose of this chapter is to give general information about Colorado State University-Pueblo and provide information about thesis methodology.
4.1 General Information about Colorado State University-Pueblo
CSU-Pueblo was founded in 1933; it is a public, fully accredited, four-year university located in Pueblo, Colorado. It is part of the Colorado State University System. CSU-Pueblo has more than 5,100 students.
CSU-Pueblo has 28 undergraduate, nine graduate programs, and one doctorate program (K. L. Velarde, Registrar, personal communication, May 2012) organized in four colleges: College of Education, Engineering, and Professional Studies (CEEPS); College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHASS); College of Science and Mathematics (CSM); and Hasan School of Business (HSB).
35 CSU-Pueblo's campus comprises more than 275 acres and has 20 buildings. The campus map is illustrated in Appendix 4 (Colorado State University-Pueblo, CSU-Pueblo 2011 Fact Book, 2011).
4.2 Methodology
While conducting this research, the following process was used:
Data Collection
Data was collected from publicly available data sources and personal communication with relevant departments. The data was verified by checking the university’s web page and asking other faculty and staff to confirm. The data collection was based on available data at the time the research was conducted. This data was used to determine the university’s current position on sustainability using the STARS assessment tool.
Data Analysis
Awarded points for each credit were calculated by following STARS directions and were reported under each credit. Partial points were awarded only where STARS provided clear guidance, for example by formula. In reviewing after other institutions’ STARS reports, it should be noted that in most cases STARS allows institutions to earn either the full points for a credit or no points; there is no opportunity to earn a smaller amount of points for a credit. The exception is when the credit requires calculations; in those cases partial points can be awarded based on calculations. This thesis follows STARS's convention of using different numbers of significant digits. For example fractions are represented with two significant digits (1.25) and whole
36 numbers are represented with no significant digits (2). The Microsoft Office Excel program was used for creating histograms and charts.
Recommendations
According to the university’s strengths and weaknesses based on the final scores and STARS-rated institutions’ average scores, a set of recommendations (found at the end of this thesis) were developed for CSU-Pueblo to improve its sustainability performance.
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5. STARS Applying to CSU-Pueblo
This chapter consists of CSU-Pueblo’s sustainability applications by following these STARS categories: Category 1: Education and Research; Category 2: Operations; and Category 3: Planning, Administration, and Engagement. Each category includes subcategories and credits; also at the end of the chapter sustainability-related findings beyond the STARS requirements are provided.
5.1 Category 1: Education & Research
This category aims to measure how the institution applies sustainability outside the formal curriculum, in the curriculum, and in research activities.
5.1.1 Co-Curricular Education
This subcategory aims to measure how the university applies sustainability outside the formal curriculum, because incorporating sustainability into students’ lives outside their formal curriculum strengthens their understanding of sustainability.
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Table 3: Co-Curricular Education
Co-Curricular Education
Credit Number Credit Title Awarded Points Possible Points
ER Credit 1 Student Sustainability Educators Program 0 5 ER Credit 2 Student Sustainability Outreach Campaign 0 5 ER Credit 3 Sustainability in New Student Orientation* 0 2 ER Credit 4 Sustainability Outreach and Publications 0.5 4
ER Tier Two Co-Curricular Education Tier Two Credits
1 Student Group 0.25 0.25
2 Organic Garden* 0 0.25
3 Model Room in Residence Hall* 0 0.25
4 Themed Housing* 0 0.25
5 Sustainable Enterprise 0 0.25
6 Sustainability Events 0.25 0.25
7 Outdoor Program 0.25 0.25
8 Themed Semester or Year* 0 0.25
Total 1.25 18
*credit does not apply to all institutions
Source: AASHE. (2011). STARS Version 1.1 Technical Manual Administrative Update One September 2011, p. 19 ER Credit 1: Student Sustainability Educators Program
AASHE (2011) rewards schools where students have been engaged in peer-to peer sustainability outreach initiatives (p.20). During the course of research for this thesis, no evidence of such a program was found in CSU-Pueblo press releases or other documents.
Going beyond the scope of the STARS requirement, in the spring 2011 Associated Students' Government election, a party called LIVEGREEN (Legit, Innovative, Vigorous, Energetic, Generous, Reliable, Educated, Environmental, Nonstop) proposed several initiatives, for example, reliable technology and continued initiation of a comprehensive recycling program However this initiatives were not implemented (L. Phillips, Associated Students’ Government Executive Assistant, personal communication, 2011).
39
ER Credit 2: Student Sustainability Outreach Campaign
AASHE (2011) evaluates institutions based on their efforts for “measurable, positive results” in holding sustainability outreach campaigns (p.23).
During the research for this thesis, no evidence of a sustainability outreach campaign was found in CSU-Pueblo press releases or other documents.
The points awarded for this credit are 0 out of 5.
ER Credit 3: Sustainability in New Student Orientation
AASHE (2011) gives credit to institutions if they include sustainability in orientation activities and programming (p.26).
CSU-Pueblo does not include sustainability in orientation activities (P. Witkowsky, Director of Student Development, personal communication, 2012).
The points awarded for this credit are 0 out of 2 points.
ER Credit 4: Sustainability Outreach and Publication
AASHE (2011) assesses if institutions produce outreach materials and publications to improve students’ learning about sustainability outside the formal classroom (p.29).
For this credit, the university only meets one requirement, which is “Food service area signage and/or brochures that include information about sustainable food systems” (AASHE, 2011, p.29). There is a flyer in the Columbine Café which shows the institution’s alliance with
40 Yancey’s, a local company that supports purchasing local, spending local, supporting local, and investing local (see Appendix 6).
Since “institutions earn 0.5 points for each publication and/or outreach material” described in STARS, the points awarded for this credit are 0.5 out of 4 points.
Co-Curricular Education Tier Two Credits
ER Tier Two Credit 1: Student Group
AASHE (2011) rewards institutions based on whether the institution has a student organization that concentrates on sustainability (p.31).
CSU-Pueblo has a student group which meets this criterion, the Eco-Wolf Pack.
The purpose of the Eco-Wolf Pack is to promote environmental education and awareness, advocate sustainable development, and introduce students to outdoor activities by
integrating sustainable actions in daily campus life, including seeking ways to reduce the use of non-renewable sources. The Eco-Wolf Pack seeks to establish Colorado State University-Pueblo as an environmentally positive model for the benefit of the college itself and the surrounding Pueblo community (Colorado State University-Pueblo, Academic Organizations, n.d.).
The points awarded for this credit are 0.25 out of 0.25 points.
ER Tier Two Credit 2: Organic Garden
AASHE (2011) assesses whether the institution has an on-campus garden where students are able to develop gardening and farming skills (p.31).
The university does not have an organic garden on campus where students are able to learn organic farming. Although CSU-Pueblo does not earn any points, the child care center has a garden on their playground and uses organic practices with the children. The child care center
41 also has a worm farm for producing compost and "worm juice" fertilizer (L. Razo, Child Care, personal communication, May 2012). In addition, the Biology department has a greenhouse which is available for students to grow plants of their desire, but it does not have an organic emphasis (B. Vanden Heuvel, Professor, Department of Biology, personal communication, May 2012).
The points awarded for this credit are 0 out of 0.25 points.
ER Tier Two Credit 3: Model Room in a Residence Hall
AASHE (2011) evaluates whether institutions have “an occupied, formally designated model room in a residence hall that is open to students during regular visitation hours and demonstrates sustainable living principles” (p.32).
The institution does not have a room that is set up to demonstrate sustainable living principles (R. Uber, Director of Residence Life and Housing, personal communication, May 2012).
The points awarded for this credit are 0 out of 0.25 points.
ER Tier Two Credit 4: Themed Housing
AASHE (2011) asks if the institution has “sustainability-themed housing (residential hall or floor or theme house) where residents learn about sustainability together and to which residents must apply” (p.33).
CSU-Pueblo does not have sustainability-themed housing, but it has Living Learning Communities. “Living Learning Communities are floors especially for students who share a particular interest in various academic areas, social issues or activities.” They are called
42 Thunderwolf Residential Academic Communities (TRACs): “The Thunderwolf Residential Academic Communities (TRACs) are academically based communities designed to cluster students around a shared major or interdisciplinary area of study.” There are several TRACs available: Nursing; Fine & Creative Arts; Teacher Education; Literature & Culture; History, Political Science, & Philosophy; Media & Popular Culture; Science, Technology, Engineering, & Mathematics (STEM); and Business. CSU-Pueblo also has thematic floors which are First-Year Experience, and Outdoor Leadership Community (Colorado State University-Pueblo, Living Learning Communities, 2011).
The points awarded for this credit are 0 out of 0.25 points.
ER Tier Two Credit 5: Sustainable Enterprise
AASHE (2011) assesses whether the institution has “a student-run sustainable enterprise, such as a café, through which students gain sustainable business skills” (p.33).
During the research for this study, no evidence of a student-run sustainable enterprise was found at the institution.
The points awarded for this credit are 0 out of 0.25 points.
ER Tier Two Credit 6: Sustainability Events
AASHE (2011) assesses whether the “institution holds major events related to sustainability, such as conferences, speaker series, or symposia, which have students as the intended audience” (p.34).
43 The university holds major events related to sustainability. REPowering Southern Colorado©, which was held August 6, 2011, was a conference about sustainability. This was the third incarnation of this event, but there is no plan for 2012 (J. M. Fraser, Professor & Chair, Department of Engineering, personal communication, 2011).
The points awarded for this credit are 0.25 out of 0.25 points.
ER Tier Two Credit 7: Outdoors Program
AASHE (2011) evaluates if the “institution has a wilderness or outdoors program that organizes hiking, backpacking, kayaking, or other outings for students and follows Leave No Trace principles” (p.35).
The university has a wilderness or outdoors program, Outdoor Pursuits, that supplies students with opportunities to be outdoors. The program organizes ski/snowboarding, camping, canoeing, snowshoeing, horseback riding, rock climbing hiking, kayaking, mountain biking, and flyfishing (Colorado State University-Pueblo, Outdoor Pursuits, 2011). All trips have an emphasis on Leave No Trace (LNT) practices. Additionally, the majority of the Outdoor Pursuits’ staff has LNT Trainer Certification. No matter what trip they run, they try to be stewards of the
environment (E. Tonish, Outdoor Program Supervisor, personal communication, March 2012).
Also, “CSU-Pueblo is one of twenty institutions that offer the Wilderness Education Association Leadership certificate.” “The WEA curriculum incorporates principles of wilderness ethic, land stewardship, effective group dynamics and technical travel skills sufficient to move a group through the wilderness safely, enjoyable, and within minimum environmental and social impact”
44 (Colorado State University-Pueblo, Wilderness Education Association Leadership Program, 2011).
The points awarded for this credit are 0.25 out of 0.25 points.
ER Tier Two Credit 8: Themed Semester or Year
AASHE (2011) assesses if the “institution has chosen a sustainability-related theme for its themed semester, year, or first-year experience during the past three years” (p.35).
CSU-Pueblo has not chosen a sustainability-related theme for its themed semester, year, or first-year experience during the past three first-years.
The points awarded for this credit are 0 out of 0.25 points.
Conclusions and Recommendations for the Co-Curricular Subcategory
In conclusion, the institution has a low score, 1.25 points out of 18, in the Co-Curricular subcategory of Category 1: Education & Research. The following activities are ones in which CSU-Pueblo had zero points:
• ER Credit 1: Student Sustainability Educators Program • ER Credit 2: Student Sustainability Outreach Campaign • ER Credit 3: Sustainability in New Student Orientation • ER Tier Two Credit 2: Organic Garden
• ER Tier Two Credit 3: Model Room in a Residence Hall • ER Tier Two Credit 4: Themed Housing
45 • ER Tier Two Credit 8: Themed Semester or Year
As a recommendation for the Student Sustainability Educators Program, the LIVEGREEN party could be revived to become “Eco-Reps” in a Sustainability Educators Program to help spread sustainability understanding and ethics throughout the campus. To earn credit for a Student Sustainability Outreach Campaign, the institution may hold campaigns about reduction in energy or water consumption or about other sustainability-related issues by students, or on-campus competitions can be arranged between residence halls to reduce electricity or water consumption. A focus on sustainability in new student orientation should involve:
• Introducing students to green features of the campus, and inviting students to join ongoing projects.
• Having a professor whose specialty is sustainability give a speech on the subject. • Taking the students on a tour of places where the institution applies sustainability; for
example, the CSU-Pueblo solar panels may be shown.
Model rooms can be designed with green products, and during visitation, information can be provided about the products by students who are working for the residence halls; flyers about campus sustainability can also be put in each room. Also, by applying sustainability and green building understanding by creating a residential sustainability learning community, the university can earn higher points for this section. Sustainable enterprises should be started to increase students’ understanding of environment and human rights while they are learning how to run businesses at the same time. A sustainability-related book can be chosen to be read and discussed to earn credit for a themed semester or year requirement.
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5.1.2 Curriculum
This subcategory assesses how much the institution applies sustainability to its formal curriculum.
Table 4: Curriculum
Curriculum
Credit Number Credit Title Awarded Points Possible Points
ER Credit 5 Sustainability Course Identification 0 3
ER Credit 6 Sustainability-Focused Courses 0.44 10
ER Credit 7 Sustainability-Related Courses 0.24 10
ER Credit 8 Sustainability Courses by Department* 2.87 7
ER Credit 9 Sustainability Learning Outcomes* 3.70 10
ER Credit 10 Undergraduate Program in Sustainability* 0 4
ER Credit 11 Graduate Program in Sustainability* 0 4
ER Credit 12 Sustainability Immersive Experience* 0 2
ER Credit 13 Sustainability Literacy Assessment 0 2
ER Credit 14 Incentives for Developing Sustainability Courses 3 3
Total 10.26 55
*credit does not apply to all institutions
Source: AASHE. (2011). STARS Version 1.1 Technical Manual Administrative Update One September 2011, p. 37 ER Credit 5: Sustainability Course Identification
AASHE (2011) evaluates if the institution has “identified their sustainability course and program offerings and made the information reachable by campus communities” (p.38).
The university has not developed a list of sustainability courses.
The points awarded for this credit are 0 out of 3 points.
As a preliminary identification, Table 5 was created by checking all the courses in the university’s 2011/2012 catalog to determine candidate courses for a potential to-be-proposed sustainability minor. Sustainability-Focused Courses and Sustainability-Related Courses are classified in the table.
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Table 5: Preliminary List of Candidate Courses for a To-Be-Proposed Sustainability Minor
Course Title Dept/Course
Number
Credit Hours Sustainability- Focused Courses
Sustainability-Related Courses
Environmental Conversation BIOL 121 3
Environmental Conversation Lab1 BIOL 121 L 1
Ecology BIOL 453 2
Ecology Field Studies BIOL 453 L 2
Environmental Management BIOL 462 3
Environmental Toxicology BIOL 465 3
Field Experience BIOL 494 (1-4 VAR )
Special Topic: Intro to Water Resources
BIOL 491/591 1
Internship BIOL 498 (5-15 VAR)
Environmental Management BIOL 562 3
Ethics in Business BUSAD 302 3
Business Ethics and Environment BUSAD 502 3
Traffic Analysis and Control CET 372 3
Chemistry and Society CHEM 101 3
Chemistry and Society Lab CHEM 101 L 1
Advanced Organic Chemistry CHEM 401 3
Advanced Organic Chemistry CHEM 401 1
Advanced Organic Chemistry CHEM 501 3
Advanced Organic Chemistry CHEM 501 1
Environmental Chemistry CHEM 425 3
Environmental Chemistry CHEM 525 3
Industrial Chemistry CHEM 550 2
Special Topic: Intro to Water Resources
CHEM 491/591 1
Principles of Microeconomics ECON 202 3
Intermediate Microeconomics ECON 301 3
Engineering Economy EN 343 3
Safety Engineering EN 440 3
Sustainable Systems Engineering EN 491/591 3
Nature Writing in the West ENG 325 3
Earth Science GEOL 101 3
Earth Science Lab GEOL 101 L 1
Light, Energy, and the Atom PHYS 140 3
Light, Energy, and the Atom Lab PHYS 140 L 1
Environmental Psychology PSYCH 314 3
Human Evolutionary Psychology PSYCH 420 3
International Relations POLSC 202 3
Sustainable Practices REC 483 3
Environmental Interpretation REC 381 3
Human Behavior and Social Environment 1
SW 201 3
Human Behavior and Social Environment 2
SW 202 3
Introduction to the Parts and Service Industry
AIM 105 1
Automotive Fuels Systems and Exhaust Emission
AIM 235 3
Automotive Fuels Systems and Exhaust Emission Lab
48 Auto Customer Service
Regulatory Issues
AIM 305 3
Fuels and Lubricant Production, Marketing and Conservation
AIM 325 3
Advanced Automotive Systems AIM 345 5
Source for Course Designations: Colorado State University-Pueblo. (2011). CSU-Pueblo 2011-2012 Catalog All other information added by author.
Note. VAR = Variable Credit Course
ER Credit 6: Sustainability-Focused Courses
AASHE (2011) assesses how many sustainability-focused courses the institution has. According to AASHE’s definition “sustainability-focused courses concentrate on the concept of
sustainability, including its social, economic, and environmental dimensions, or examine an issue or topic using sustainability as a lens”(AASHE, 2011, p.40).
According to preliminary classification, there are 17 Sustainability-Focused Courses in Table 5. The total number of courses offered in 2011 were 3,830 (K. L. Velarde, Registrar, personal communication, May 2012).
The points awarded for this credit are 0.44 out of 10 points.
Table 6: Calculation of Sustainability Focused Courses
Factor M u lt ip ly Number of Sustainability-Focused Courses Offered D iv id e Total Number of Courses Offered Equal s Total Points 100 × 17 ÷ 3,830 = 0.44
Source for table: AASHE. (2011). STARS Version 1.1 Technical Manual Administrative Update One September 2011, p. 42
Source for data: Table 5
ER Credit 7: Sustainability-Related Courses
AASHE (2011) evaluates how many sustainability-related courses the institution has. According to AASHE’s definition, “sustainability-related courses incorporate sustainability as a distinct
49 course component or module or concentrate on a single sustainability principle or issue”
(AASHE, 2011, p.40).
According to preliminary classification there are 28 sustainability-related courses in Table 5. The total number of courses offered in 2011 were 3,830 (K. L. Velarde, Registrar, personal
communication, May 2012).
The points awarded for this credit are 0.24 out of 10 points.
Table 7: Calculation of Sustainability-Related Courses
Factor M u lt ip ly Number of Sustainability-Related Courses Offered D iv id e Total Number of Coerces Offered Equ al s Total Points 331 3 × 28 ÷ 3,830 = 0.24
Source: AASHE. (2011). STARS Version 1.1 Technical Manual Administrative Update One September 2011, p. 45 Source for data: Table 5
ER Credit 8: Sustainability Courses by Department
AASHE (2011) assesses which academic departments offer sustainability-related and/or sustainability-focused courses (p.48).
The number of departments that offer at least one sustainability-related or sustainability-focused course is 14, as shown in Table 5. The total number of departments that offered courses in 2011 was 38 (K. L. Velarde, Registrar, personal communication, May 2012).
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Table 8: Calculation of Sustainability Courses by Department
Factor M u lt ip ly Number of Departments that Offer a Sustainability Course D iv id e Total Number of Departments Equal s Total Points 7.78 × 14 ÷ 38 = 2.87
Source: AASHE. (2011). STARS Version 1.1 Technical Manual Administrative Update One September 2011, p. 48 Source for number of departments that offer a sustainability course: Table 5
Source for total number of departments: K. L. Velarde, Registrar, personal communication, May 2012 ER Credit 9: Sustainability Learning Outcomes
AASHE (2011) evaluates whether institutions have “sustainability learning outcomes that are associated with program degrees and/or courses of study” (p.51).
As a preliminary identification, Table 9 was created by checking all student learning outcomes in CSU-Pueblo’s 2011-2012 Catalog.
Table 9: Preliminary List of Sustainability Learning Outcomes
Program CSU-Pueblo 2011-2012 catalog page # of learning outcomes # relating to sustainability Notes AIM 106 7 1
“Recognize and apply proper health, safety, and environmental regulations based on federal and state standards” CET 107-108 9 1 “evaluate impacts of engineering solutions
to society”
CM 110 8 1 “Demonstrate commitment to quality,
timeliness, and continuous improvement”
BSE-Mechatronics 113 11 2
designing systems to meet “economic, environmental, social, political, ethical, health and safety, manufacturability, and sustainability” needs and understanding “impact of engineering solutions in a global, economic, environmental, and societal context”
BSIE 114 11 2
designing systems to meet “economic, environmental, social, political, ethical, health and safety, manufacturability, and sustainability” needs and understanding “impact of engineering solutions in a global, economic, environmental, and societal context”
AT 118 5 0
